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By Willemijn Husslage

Tata Steel Group At a glance ? Part of the Tata Group ?Tata Steel Group: ?Fortune 500 company ?Top 10 global steel producer ?Annual crude steel capacity of 28 million tonnes ?More than 80,000 employees ?Manufacturing operations in 26 countries across 5 continents ?Serving customers all across the globe ?Turnover 2009-10: $22.8 billion

May 1, 2011

By J. T. Chen, S. Winkler, M. J. Worswick, O. Orlov

This paper presents a review of research conducted at the University of Waterloo concerned with the application of aluminum alloy sheet and tube in automotive structures and body panels. The research has focussed on formability prediction and results using a range of damage-based formulations. These models include continuum-level damage approaches and, more recently, a so-called percolation damage approach intended to capture microstructural heterogeneity effects on damage development. This paper presents applications of these damage approaches to simulate formability of experiments considering stretch flange panels. The experiments consider drawbead effects associated with the bend/unbend deformation as the material flows through the drawbead. Recent work on simulating in situ X-ray tomography experiments that capture damage evolution during tensile deformation will also be reviewed.

Jan 1, 2006

By Kevin M. Ansdell, Irvine R. Annesley, Christine L. Mckechnie

The U-Th-REE mineralization at Fraser Lakes Zone B is hosted by granitic pegmatites and leucogranites, which lie along the deformed contact between Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary gneiss of the Wollaston Group and Archean orthogneiss, approximately 25 km from the southeastern edge of the Athabasca Basin. The pegmatites/leucogranites are subcordant to concordant with the regional foliation and are concentrated within a northeast-plunging antiformal fold nose, the study area, which lies west of Fraser Lakes. The mineralized pegmatites/leucogranites in the western part of the study area (Group A) are typically enriched in U (± Th) with Th/U ~1, and contain uraninite, thorite, zircon, and allanite. Those intruding the central part of the study area (Group B) are generally enriched in Th and LREE, with Th/U >2, and contain monazite, thorite (commonly U-enriched), and zircon. The pegmatites and leucogranites in Group A tend to be slightly enriched in SiO2 and depleted in TiO2 relative to those in Group B and are interpreted to represent more evolved crustal melts. Both groups are peraluminous and show varied chemistry. Partial melting (~850ºC and 9 kbar) of a metasedimentary rock-dominated source, entrainment of accessory minerals as xenocrysts, and assimilation-fractional crystallization processes combined to enrich the granitic pegmatites/leucogranites in U, Th, and REE elements. Transfer of melt from the source region to the crystallization sites was assisted by deformation within and along major structural zones, such as the folded Archean-Paleoproterozoic discontinuity. The character of mineralization and structural control in the study area is reminiscent of the alaskite-hosted deposits at Rössing, Namibia.

Jan 1, 2013

By J. H. McKibbon

THE metallurgical industry has purchased more than sixty per cent of the industrial gas cleaning equipment installed in Canada. This includes cyclonic collectors, scrubbers, cloth filters and Cottrell Precipitators. These are the principal types of equipment which are used commercially for the cleaning of gases which result from the processing of iron, nickel, copper, lead, zinc, gold, gypsum and aluminum ores. The recovered dust, which usually contains metal values, is returned to the process. The cost of the equipment is thus economically justified. This is in contrast to other industries, such as those involving steam power generation, asbestos, cement and lime production, where, though dust collection equipment is extensively used, it is installed primarily for nuisance abatement. Communities are becoming more and more conscious of air pollution, new and more stringent legislation is being enacted, and, for other than economic reasons the smelting industry will eventually be required to install more efficient gas cleaning equipment. This paper

Jan 1, 1962

By Brian Danyliw

"Dust control is an increasingly important consideration for all mining operations from a health, safety, environmental and maintenance perspective. Modern mining operations incorporate a variety of mechanical dust control techniques into design however in many cases these engineered systems are unable to meet desired fugitive dust level targets. In these cases a variety of chemical dust suppression options are available to operators to assist in meeting their targets. This paper provides an overview of available chemistries, discussion of application techniques and equipment requirements and available performance monitoring technologies. This paper will also include a number of case histories discussing the treatment approach chosen, challenges encountered, chemical feed, storage and application equipment, monitoring techniques employed and results achieved.INTRODUCTIONDust FundamentalsFugitive dust by definition is an aerosol consisting of particulate matter suspended in a gaseous medium. Aerosols can include suspensions of particulate (solids) or sprays (liquids) or a mixture of both. Of particular concern from an occupational health and safety perspective are aerosols of particulate matter due to their involvement in classical occupations lung diseases such as silicosis, poisoning through chronic exposure to compounds such as lead and beryllium and expected involvement in more modern identified conditions such as cancer, asthma, and a host of other respiratory and non-respiratory conditions which may be caused or influenced through exposure to dust.According to the ""Glossary of Atmospheric Chemistry Terms"" (IUPAC, 1990), ""Dust: Small, dry, solid particles projected into the air by natural forces, such as wind, volcanic eruption, and by mechanical or man-made processes such as crushing, grinding, milling, drilling, demolition, shoveling, conveying, screening, bagging, and sweeping. Dust particles are usually in the size range from about 1 to 100 µm in diameter, and they settle slowly under the influence of gravity."" It should be noted that the behavior of particulates with respect to settling rate in air is a function of particle mass and shape and therefore the geometric size of the particle can be misleading. Occupational hygienists utilize the concept of particle aerodynamic diameter as a more representative reflection of particle size. Particle aerodynamic diameter, is defined as ""the diameter of a hypothetical sphere of density 1 g/cm3 having the same terminal settling velocity in calm air as the particle in question, regardless of its geometric size, shape and true density."" The expression of particle size as aerodynamic diameter allows for a more consistent understanding of particle behavior both from a settling perspective as well as from the perspective of how dust particles will behave in the respiratory tract. Figure 1 illustrates settling rates for particles of various aerodynamic diameters. The relationship between particle size and settling rate is important for understanding what size of particles must be addressed by dust control strategies as well as what particle sizes represent the most danger from an exposure and occupational health perspective."

Jan 1, 2015

By R. W. Baker

"The development of uppers drilling at Brunswick Mining is reviewed. This paper describes design criteria for drilling patterns and the research required for selection of a suitable drill jumbo. The success of the uppers drilling program based on operating procedures is highlighted. IntroductionBrunswick Mining and Smelting Corporation Ltd., operates a 10 500 tonnes per day lead /zinc/copper I silver underground mine some seventeen miles southwest of Bathurst, New Brunswick .The No. 12 orebody, first discovered in 1952 by a group headed by M.J. Boylen, had extensive development, including two shallow shafts (500 ft), and test work carried out on it by St. Joe Lead between 1953-1957. However due to complex metallurgy and depressed metal prices, the operation was suspended.In 1961, a group comprised of M.J . Boylen, K.C . Irving and Patino acquired the rights of St. Joe Lead to the No. 12 property. A concerted development plan was initiated along with construction of the necessary sur face facilities and by July 1964, the property was in production at 4500 tons per day.In 1967 Noranda Mines Ltd. acquired operating control of Brunswick Mining and Smelting Corporation Ltd."

Jan 1, 1988

By D. Runnels, A. Allaire, J. Torrealba-Vargas

Data mining and modelling of operational data involves the discovery of patterns in large datasets for future use in benchmarking and plant optimization. The modern pattern of discovery in large data sets involves statistical techniques, machine learning and new visualization tools. Former examples of data mining are revisited and presented in this document. INTRODUCTION A network of enthusiastic and active professionals is currently developing and maintaining several open source statistical software tools (packages) for data analysis (example Rstudio, Orange, Spyder, etc.). The advantages of the open source software philosophy are the fast development and testing of the solutions presented to the community. Books and support are available for each software application. Since each modern work activity generates massive amounts of data, it is attractive to learn and test those available tools considering that we are at the door of the new work revolution coined as “Mine 4.0”. Data mining involves collecting large datasets, the preparation and cleaning of a dataset (term named data wrangling), the uploading of the data to a database program capable of handling big datasets, the development of prediction models and the presentation of the results. Machine learning techniques help to develop mathematical models and algorithms that could be used to improve the performance on a specific task. Mine operations are producing an incredible amount of data each day and the need to analyze those results seems to be impossible due to the lack of time, as well as the lack of skills to investigate the data collected. If we add to this the traditional habit of working in silos, an additional challenge is to consolidate databases from different departments in search of trends that could help to optimize production.

Jan 1, 2019

By Heribert F. Broicher

By the very nature of mineral deposits the quality of the raw material generally fluctuates and should be known for optimum processing. Early classification, for example, of limestone into road-metal grade or lime grade or of run-of-mine ores into high grade, low grade and waste as well as information for blending or for dosage of reagents are prerequisite for economic processing. Non-contact, real-time and on-line rock identification or assessment of quality parameters can be realised by introducing the analysis of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) into the mining industry. LIF analysis is an optical method evaluating the basically known photoluminescence properties of matter, however, extending the application into hitherto unimagined fields by use of high-energy pulsed lasers and time-resolved analysis of fluorescence in the ultra-violet, the visible and near-infrared domains of light. LIF analysers and test work in a limestone quarry and a cement plant in Germany as well as in an iron ore mine in Sweden are described. First results of test work are available and proof this technology to be promissing.

May 1, 2002

By K. Musgrave

"The ISO 9000 Quality Management System Standards have become internationally accepted as the way to manage quality assurance. The author has developed a Maintenance Management System Standard using ISO 9001as a model and is working with a major basemetal mining company to implement this. This paper describes the structure of the standard and the steps required for its implementation.Using a management standard ensures that a system is maintained, reviewed by internal audit, and when instances of failing to follow the procedures (nonconformances) occur, that corrective action is taken. It also ensures that regular reviews are made and that the sys-tem is continuously improved.The Standard is designed so that if an organization decides to register to an ISO 9000standard, the Maintenance Management System will be in a format that is compatible and can be incorporated with little effort into the Quality System.IntroductionIn reviewing maintenance operations at many mining companies, and often seeing those same organizations some years later, two recurring issues have been noticed..The first issue is how dependent effective maintenance is upon individual supervisors and crews. In one situation, a mine that had an excellent maintenance system in the 1980s. Now, with new supervisors and crews, it is starting to develop a system that will bring it back to where it once was. No written procedures remain from the earlier excellent system.The second issue is that most operations feel that maintenance is the sole responsibility of the maintenance supervisors and crews. Nothing could be further from the truth. Maintenance, like safety, is everyone’s responsibility. If the operator does not report problems and perform daily checks, and if the production supervisor runs equipment until it fails, then nothing the maintenance crew does will prevent emergency breakdowns and lost production. More importantly, equipment will be operated in unsafe conditions, putting employees at risk and, with today’s regulations, leaving supervisors open to prosecution.The Maintenance Management System outlined in this paper is designed to establish the present best practices as standard procedures, to provide a continual review so that these practices are improved in the future, and to identify instances where the system fails so that corrective action is taken. The mine referred to above is using this approach to make sure that, this time, the system it implements will survive."

Jan 1, 1997

By A. H. Lang

Introduction The recent uranium discovery at Theano point, lake Superior, is probably a rediscovery of the first reported Canadian uranium occurrence. A description of material from the original discovery was published in 1847 by J. L. LeConte, and many attempts have been made to relocate the deposit. Such attempts have in the past been unsuccessful because of vagueness in the original description of the locality. Besides being a prospect that seems to merit development work, the Camray discovery is important because it reaffirms the occurrence of pitchblende in the eastern part of the Precambrian shield. Much staking followed the announcement of the discovery, and some additional finds have been reported. Location The Camray discovery is at the shore of Theano point, lake Superior, about seventy miles north of Sault Ste. Marie (see Figure 1). It is in township 29, range XIV, district of Algoma. The showing is two miles from Highway No. 17, and is reached by a rough trail that leaves the highway at mileage 72.9 from Sault Ste. Marie. There are no towns of any size nearer than Sault Ste. Marie.

Jan 1, 1949

By E. O. Abrokwah

Directionally solidified (DS) Rene 80 Superalloy was tested in thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) over the temperature range 500-900°C and plastic strain levels from 0.2 to 0.8% using a DSI Gleeble thermal simulator. Thermo-mechanical testing was carried out on the parent material in the conventional solution treated and aged condition (STA), as well as gas tungsten arc welded with an IN-738 filler, followed by solution treatment and ageing. Comparison of the base TMF unwelded alloy with that of the welded and heat treated alloy showed that varying crack initiation mechanisms, notably oxidation either by stress assisted grain boundary oxidation, or associated with grain boundary MC carbides fatigue crack propagation along grain boundaries and creep deformation were operating, leading to different "weakest link" failure initiation points.

Jan 1, 2011

By Timothy W. Ellis, Abbas H. Mirza, R. David Prengaman

Recycled lead, i.e. material produced by the recycling of lead-acid batteries, has become the primary source of lead in much of the world. This has been important to the recycled lead industry as other uses have dwindled, e.g. lead based pigments, chemicals, fuel additives, solders and CRT glasses. Presently, battery manufacturing accounts for greater than 85% of lead consumption worldwide while recycled lead accounts for approximately the same market share of lead supply. Battery manufacturing and production of recycled lead are intimately coupled. In 2007, of all the industrial base metals, lead from lead-acid batteries had the highest recycling rate in North America at greater than 95%. In this paper we will review some of the processes and technologies used in a modern lead acid battery recycling facility, and how recycled lead has become the material of choice for battery construction through the development of a recovery and refining process that exceeds the industry requirements. We will also briefly review an advanced air emissions treatment system in a modern lead recycling plant that demonstrates the feasibility of a new maximum available control technology (MACT) for secondary lead smelters.

Jan 1, 2011

By S. McPhail, D. Richardson, G. J. Simandl, C. Akam, S. Paradis, M. Yakimoski, A. Teucher, Y. Cui, F. Ferri

Historically, extracting dissolved solids from formation water was economically motivated. Today, main drivers are environmental benefits and regulations, as large volumes of water needed for hydraulic fracturing require treatment before reuse or disposal. The concentration of dissolved solids in flowback water increases with each use and may require treatment prior to disposal. Element recovery from produced water is not profitable unless market conditions are favourable, recoverable elements are abundant, and economical recovery methods are established. Sale of recovered materials could offset recycling and disposal costs. This paper describes markets for Cl, Na, Ca, K, Sr, Mg, Br, Ba, I, B, and Li, and their concentrations in produced water from oil and gas wells in British Columbia. It recommends revising sampling protocol for produced water.

Jan 1, 2018

By A. M. Ramadan

The composition of phosphate rocks, mainly used in manufacturing fertilizers, varies among deposits; therefore, phosphate rocks from different sources are expected to behave differently in acidulation processes. This paper examines the effect of preconcentration of phosphate ore from El-Sebaiya East, Egypt, using flotation on uranium leaching. A high-grade ore sample (27.3% P2O5, 168 mg/kg U) supplied by the Al-Nasr Mining Company, was subjected to reverse single-stage flotation to separate carbonate from the phosphate sample. Subsequently, P2O5 and U concentrations were 32.2% (92.1% recovery) and 225 mg/kg, respectively. After the leach process, the U concentration in the liquor was 319 mg/L.

Jan 1, 2014

By J. Abrahams, A. Nesbitt

Over the past half-century, researchers have commented on the complexities of ion-exchange processes, but have been forced to use gross assumptions to simplify the associated mathematics sufficiently for mathematical models to be of practical use, given the available computational power. This paper reviews the development of increasingly complex models as computational power has increased over the past half-century, from the direct application of Fick's Law in 1947, through to today's models requiring finiteelement methods. The assumptions required for and the associated limitations of the various models are presented and the associated computational complexities are discussed. A case study is presented in which a continuous loss of capacity in an acid resin was observed over about sixty cycles of loading and elution. Resin poisoning does not explain this observation. This paper presents the capacity loss data, speculates on possible causes of the phenomenon, discusses why conventional kinetic and equilibrium mechanisms cannot explain it and concludes that the need to develop a more rigorous model is apparent. The significance of this observation is that standard tests done for a new resin application could significantly overestimate the commercial performance of the resin concerned, highlighting the importance of computer simulation in this field of process engineering.

Jan 1, 2005

By S. P. Singh

"The geological features of a rock mass have a direct influence on its blasting characteristics. It has been observed that perimeter control techniques provide excellent results in massive crystalline formations but may give poor results in weak and or highly jointed formations.A field study was conducted with the objective of understanding the role played by the geological features of a rock mass in producing and controlling blast damage. The field work involved the assessment of blast damage at several operating mines and the blasting of drift rounds in a geologically dominant rock mass.The effect of rock strength, rock quality designation (RQD), joint parameters and hydrogeological conditions on blast damage is described below. The influence of number and thickness of weak layers on blast damage is also discussed below on the basis of quantitative data. In addition, critical particle velocity ranges for damage to different rock types have also been outlined in this paper."

Jan 1, 2001

By F. W. Gray

Summarized Foreword This paper is one of a series arranged by Institute Divisional Committees for the Fiftieth Anniversary Meeting, reviewing the experience of the major mining and metallurgical industries during the life of the Institute. The viewpoint is national and broadly technical. Geology is stressed on a continental scale without regard for provincial boundaries. The boundary between Canada and the United States is, however, so decisive a factor in our coal-mining economics and our political evolution that mention of its implications cannot be avoided. The Laurentian Shield in Canada makes the occurrence of coal deposits a geological impossibility between the St. Lawrence Lowlands and the Great Plains. All but five per cent of Canadian coal resources occur west of Winnipeg. The utilization of this ninety-five per cent of our coal wealth has to date been a consequence of transcontinental railways' development, and the small fuel needs of thinly populated wheat farming and cattle-raising territory, in what- to judge from the development of mixed farming and greater population density of Manitoba- is merely an initial stage of agricultural intensification and accordant population growth. There is no useful purpose in measuring coal resource against consumption rate in the West as a whole, because the resource is but partially known, and it is difficult to believe that industrialism based upon coal utilization is in any but its infant stage of growth. Canada west of Winnipeg possesses, moreover resources of petroleum and natural gas, which, together with the power-potential in the long watershed of the eastern slope of the Rocky mountains, give to population centres such as Calgary and Edmonton a choice of energy resources that is almost an embarrass des riches.

Jan 1, 1948

By Leslie McHattie

?Intelligent mine? conjures up a futuristic image of unmanned extractors and loaders working in harsh conditions in a remote lunar landscape. The promise of increasing mine fleet productivity and solving the problem labor shortages in mining regions can certainly be achieved today through remote controlled extraction and automated hauling. The technology is available and it doesn?t seem to be so much science fiction when Google?s self-driving cars hurtle down the freeway. ?Intelligent mining,? on the other hand, implies the application of information technology at every phase of the mining value chain, from exploration and geological modeling to equipment, operations and maintenance, and logistics and transportation. These are really industry-specific, enterprise-class software solutions focused on using information technology to support the business processes of mining and make them more efficient and effective. Overlaying the physical world with the digital or virtual world enables us to model and simulate our assets, giving us the ability to effectively design, build, and ultimately optimize the performance and reliability of our assets throughout the lifecycle. The digital asset, often a 3D model, is created initially during the engineering and construction phase, and is handed over to the operator before the mine goes into operation. Combined with geospatial or geographic information systems, the operator has a complete digital representation of the physical world, which forms the foundation for risk and performance management, along with compliance and regulatory reporting. Laser scanning and positioning technology can be used to create point clouds ? information models consisting of millions of data points ? which enable the visualization and representation of the ?as-operated? reality. But consider that once the mine is in operation, it throws off an endless stream of data in the form of performance and condition data from sensors and monitoring devices on fixed and mobile assets through networks, servers, and services. This ?big data? can be processed and analyzed to spot trends, help predict events, and formulate reliability strategies as early as the design stage (e.g., reliability-centered design). ?Intelligent mining? implies that massive amounts of data augment the reality of the physical mine, plant, and equipment. This embedded intelligence can be used to optimize operational efficiency, increase asset availability and utilization, improve safety and environmental integrity, and maximize return on investment. Lastly, the sweet spot for intelligent mining is seen in the convergence of consumerization and industrialization. The application of ?consumer? technologies that we use every day on our iPhones and Android devices, such as cameras, motion sensors, and positioning in an industrial context, are producing ?immersive? experiences. Overlaying the digital world on the physical world and connecting them accurately through intelligent positioning results in ?intelligent infrastructure,? which is safer and more sustainable. Bentley Systems works with many mining companies and engineering, procurement and construction companies involved in all aspects of mining infrastructure development. In fact, 10 of the top 20 mining companies ranked by market capitalization are users of Bentley software, including all of the top five. In addition, Bentley provides software solutions to the world?s leading engineering, procurement, and construction companies, as well as owner-operators, who design, build and operate the world?s infrastructure. Bentley?s solutions for mining and resource extraction industries help increase the efficiency of capital projects associated with the design, procurement, and construction of mines and processing plants, as well as the operation and maintenance of mining fleet and equipment.

Aug 1, 2013

By R. Matusewicz

The key drivers for the copper smelting industry are a complex mix of economic and "human" factors which combine to drive technology in new directions and can provide a strong indication of future industry trends. Recent examples have been the drive to achieve increased scale of production and resultant cost efficiencies by using a single furnace high intensity smelting vessel, and the broad acceptance of Top Submerged Lancing (TSL) technology for this duty. The development and adoption of continuous converting processes to counter the increased pressures faced by the Peirce Smith converting process is another example of the need for innovation. This paper discusses the merits of the continuous converting process, describes how the Ausmelt TSL batch converting process has been adapted to the new Ausmelt Continuous Copper Converting (C3) process in response to these industry trends and examines the Ausmelt continuous converting flowsheet options available to the end user.

Jan 1, 2007

At the end of a century of mining education in South Africa, it is appropriate to reflect on the past, take stock of the present and ponder the future of mining education. While it is likely that changes in the mining industry will generate an increased demand for mining graduates, the number of suitably qualified applicants to study mining is worryingly small. While good progress has been made in unifying the educational system that previously provided schooling on a racially separate basis, it appears that a decade or more will be required to raise competency levels in mathematics, science and English, and this paper describes the process as it affects mining engineering programs. It also describes the initiatives currently being undertaken by the University of the Witwatersrand and the mining industry to ensure that the South African industry receives an adequate flow of well-qualified mining graduates, despite more than 70% of the intake coming from severely disadvantaged educational backgrounds.

Jan 1, 1999